Nikitsky Botanical Garden
Nikitsky Botanical Garden is one of the leading research institutions in the field of botany and gardening. Located in Crimea between the Black Sea and the village of Nikita.
The first stone in the foundation of the garden was laid by Emperor Alexander I in 1811, when he put his signature in a decree on the creation of a botanical garden in Crimea. According to the decree, the state was to allocate 10,000 rubles each year for the garden. The Duke Emmanuel Osipovich de Richelieu and Count Mikhail Vorontsov, who knew the emperor well, contributed to the formation of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. This initiative was also promoted by Bieberstein, a prominent German botanist, working for the benefit of Russia for over twenty years and working as the chief inspector for silkworms of southern Russia.
In 1812, the scientist Christian Steven was appointed to the post of director of the garden, who believed that decorative and garden cultures from southern Europe should be in the garden, in the future to acclimatize them in Crimea and the rest of Russia. Already in September, the first plantings of plants and trees were planted. After 3 years, the Nikitsky Botanical Garden published a catalog according to which 58 species of pears, 95 varieties of apple trees, 15 ornamental and 6 berry crops were grown in the garden. Thanks to Christian Steven’s knowledge, it was possible to acclimatize many plant and tree varieties for the harsh conditions of the Russian climate. The garden has become a transshipment point for acclimatization of plants from Europe to Asia and vice versa.
In 1818, Steven was given money for which he went on a trip for 2 years, during which he studied fruit crops and sent the most suitable to the Nikitsky Garden. Over twelve years of work, the scientist gathered in the veil of almost 500 species of exotic plants. In 1826, a garden caretaker, Gartvis, was appointed director, as Christian Steven was appointed inspector for silkworm. Garthvis ran the garden until his death, collecting plants and trees from all over the world into the garden collection.
The Nikitsky Botanical Garden suffered tremendous damage during the occupation by German troops, which destroyed many plants and the most valuable took to Berlin. After the liberation of Crimea, work began on the restoration of the garden, and after the war, the director of the garden Anatoly Koverga began searching for the lost collection and, having traveled many kilometers, found them in a suburb of Berlin and returned everything to Crimea.
The Nikitsky Garden is beautiful at least for a time of the year, in it you can see huge cedars and cypress trees, many fruit crops, you can enjoy the smell of flowers in any season of the year. From March to May, over 150 varieties of tulips bloom, irises bloom from April to May, and from May to December, visitors are pleased with their appearance roses, which number more than 100 species. Well, the main property of the garden is the herbarium, in the collection of which more than 150,000 species of plants.
Souvenir shops and shops also function in the garden, where you can buy seedlings and seeds of interest. You can visit the garden from 9 to 18 ( from May to October ) and from 9 to 16 ( from November to April ).
